Florida Paint Disposal: Regulations & Recycling

In Florida, as in many other states, disposing of liquid paint is subject to hazardous-waste regulations. When determining how to dispose of your paint, you first need to determine whether the pain is liquid or solid, whether it's oil-based and whether it can be recycled.

Oil-based Paint

• In the state of Florida, oil-based paint is subject to hazardous-waste regulations. To dispose of an oil-based paint, find your county's hazardous waste disposal program on the directory maintained by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/hazardous/pages/localgovhhwweb.htm. Then drop off your oil-based paints during the program's open hours.

Solid Paint

• If your paint has solidified or if you have empty paint cans, you can dispose of these in your household trash. According to Earth911.com, a paint can is considered "empty" if you can turn it upside down and no paint comes out. Place empty paint cans inside a garbage bag. Leave the lid off.

Wet Paint

• Florida prohibits disposing of wet paint by dumping it down a drain. If you have wet paint you need to get rid of, consider recycling the paint. Donate it to a local community theater group, mural painters' group or other community art program.

Paint Disposal

• If you choose not to recycle liquid paint, you need to solidify it for disposal in Florida. To do this, add kitty litter to the liquid paint and stir the paint with a paint stirrer until all liquid is absorbed by the litter. This technique from the University of Missouri allows you to dispose of your paint in the trash without violating Florida law.